How does the algorithm decide whether to keep showing my post to more people?

Think of it like dropping a rock in a pond creating concentric circles. Your post gets shown to a small test audience in the first 30-60 minutes (the first ring). If people watch, share, save, and engage, the algorithm pushes it to the next circle of viewers. If people scroll past without interacting, the post dies—distribution is killed right there. Your last 9-12 posts train the algorithm on what kind of account you are. If those posts consistently get low engagement, the algorithm categorizes your account as ‘skippable.’ When you change your strategy and mix in high-engagement entertaining posts, the algorithm re-categorizes you as high-value.

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Asked by an artist confused about how content gets distributed · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-03-30